Plant variety of juniperus chinensis named &#39;NEDSYELO&#39;

ABSTRACT

A new plant variety of  Juniperus chinensis  that is distinguished from its parent and all other varieties of  Juniperus chinensis  by having bright yellow-green needles combined with unusually slow growth and compact habit.

LATIN NAME

Juniperus chinensis

VARIETAL DENOMINATION

‘nedsyelo’

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct variety of Juniperus chinensis which occurred as a branch sport mutation on a cultivated specimen of Juniperus chinensis ‘Pfizteriana’ near Amanda, Ohio U.S. and discovered by Mr. Ned D. Rader of Amanda, Ohio. The varietal denomination of the new variety is ‘nedsyelo’. The genus Juniperus is included within the family Cupressaceae which comprises about 60 species in the northern hemisphere from the Polar Regions to high elevations in the tropics. Junipers range in habit from groundcovers to small trees. Leaves arranged oppositely or in whorls are either scale-like (adult) or awl shaped or acicular leaves (juvenile). Junipers are generally dioecious with male sporophylls numbering 3-7, yellow. Seed cones appear fleshy or berry-like, glaucous, consisting of 3-8 united scales.

‘Nedsyelo’ Juniper was first asexually reproduced by Mr. Rader at Ned's Nursery, 18580 Chambers Road, Amanda, Ohio 43102 in the summer of 1991 when he took cuttings from the sport branch of the parent plant located at 10955 Young Road, which branch was showing the yellow foliage of ‘nedsyelo’ Juniper. In the initial propagation of this plant, summer cuttings were used. They were cut to a length of 3-5″, dipped in Indolebutyric acid rooting hormone (IBA), stuck in a combination sand/styrofoam rooting medium and placed under a mist system which misted every 10 minutes for 6-10 seconds. They were left under the mist system until they were rooted, then kept in the greenhouse over the first winter. Subsequent propagation was done as winter cuttings. All propagation of ‘Nedsyelo’ Juniper remains true to the original plant (sport).

‘Nedsyelo’ Juniper is easily reproduced from winter hardwood cuttings taken in November through January, averaging a success rate of 60-90%. The rooted cuttings grow off quickly in 2½″ pots and can be transplanted into 1 gallon containers and finished out at the end of 1 or 2 growing seasons.

To date, there has been no burning of foliage, no insect or disease infestation, drought, or cold hardiness effect on any of the 100-200 plants that are growing at Ned's Nursery, Inc. for 10-15 years. These plants have not suffered any dieback from winter cold temperatures even though they have been through drought conditions and temperature lows of −15 degrees Fahrenheit. The plants have never received any irrigation when planted in field conditions. No fruit or flowers have been noticed on the older plants to date. The only fragrance produced is when the leaves are crushed or cut. Deer do not bother the plants even though deer are present in substantial numbers.

Plant shows hardiness, surviving stressful conditions of extreme drought and extreme high and low temperatures without burning of foliage. Even though the plant is vigorous, it does not spend its energy in becoming large, rather it remains compact (about half the size of other yellow junipers such as ‘Saybrook Gold’ Juniper) and symmetrically shaped over time, requiring little maintenance.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The new variety was discovered as a spontaneous branch sport mutation on a mature specimen of Juniperus chinensis ‘Pfitzeriana’ growing at a residential site located at 10955 Young Road Amanda, Ohio. The parent has subsequently died and has been removed. The new variety differs from its parent in having bright yellow outer needles and creamy yellow-green interior needles. The new variety also exhibits an unusually slow growth rate and maintains a distinctively compact habit. The asexual reproduction of the new variety in Amanda, Ohio by cutting propagation has confirmed that the distinctive qualities of the new variety are stable and reproduced true to type in successive generations of asexual propagation.

COMPARISON WITH PARENT AND KNOWN CULTIVARS

The parent plant is a Juniperus chinensis pfitzeriana. It is a large, 10-15′ wide and 8-10′ tall conifer shrub with glaucous (bluish) scale-like and juvenile glaucous foliage on stout arm-like branches ascending at acute angles with drooping tips. ‘Nedsyelo’ is distinguished from its parent and other varieties of Chinese Juniper by its bright yellow needles which maintain this bright color year-around and by its slow growth and compact habit.

‘Nedsyelo’ Juniper is more compact growing with bright yellow new growth, starting in spring and lasting throughout the following winter into the next spring, so that the first year growth remains yellow through the winter until the beginning of the second spring, when new yellow growth begins again and the second year wood turns orange-tan, but has new yellow growth on it also. Shaded foliage is mostly light green with some blue (glaucous) mixed in. New growth shows the yellow color best in sunlight. New growth is bright lemon yellow in sunlight and stays yellow throughout the first winter. New growth is a moderate 3-6″ as compared to Saybrook Gold Juniper, which is faster growing. ‘Nedsyelo’ Juniper is dwarfer than Saybrook Gold Juniper. ‘Nedsyelo’ Juniper at 15 years is 7′ wide×4′ tall, whereas Saybrook Gold Juniper at Secrest Arboretum is 15′ wide×9′ tall at 20 years. ‘Nedsyelo’ Juniper does not show any tip blight whereas Saybrook Gold Juniper shows severe tip blight in rainy years at Secrest Arboretum, Wooster, Ohio. Additional observations are as follows:

-   1. Juniperus c. ‘Saybrook Gold’ (2-3′H×6′W)—Similar to ‘nedsyelo’     but showing old gold color in winter; not as lemon yellow as     ‘nedsyelo’. Plants at Secrest Arboretum that were 12′ W×6′ H showed     lots of tip blight. (NC State University); -   2. ‘Gold Coast’ Juniper (3′H×4-5′W)—Similar to ‘nedsyelo’ but not as     yellow in spring (Natorp's); -   3. ‘Gold Sovereign’ Juniper (18-24″ H×2½-3′ W)—Smaller than     ‘nedsyelo’ (NC State University); -   4. ‘Sea of Gold’ Juniper (3′ H×4′W)—Very similar to ‘nedsyelo’;     ‘nedsyelo’ shows yellow color on new growth for a longer period     (Monrovia); -   5. ‘Gold Lace’ Juniper PP#8202 (3-4′H×5-6′W)—‘nedsyelo’ shows more     yellow growth in spring (Monrovia); -   6. ‘Aorangi Gold’ Juniper—Turns old gold in winter; ‘nedsyelo’ is     more lemon gold in winter.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF ILLUSTRATIONS

The accompanying photographs show a specimen of the new cultivar as true to color as is reasonably possible to make in an illustration of this character.

FIG. 1 Mature ‘Nedsyelo’ Juniper taken in late summer, showing compact habit.

FIG. 2 Sample of 3″ pot transplanted to 1 gallon container, showing size 6 months after transplant.

FIG. 3 Closeup of ‘Nedsyelo’ Juniper in early summer, showing bright yellow new growth on 11 year old plant.

FIG. 4 Closeup of ‘Nedsyelo’ Juniper showing bright yellow color of tip growth on mature plant.

FIG. 5 Closeup of ‘Nedsyelo’ Juniper showing second year orange stem, first year bright yellow new growth and yellow green hues of interior needles on new growth.

FIG. 6 is a photo taken in November showing sustained yellow color on one year old growth.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE NEW VARIETY

‘Nedsyelo’ Juniper has been observed under a wide variety of environmental and cultural conditions. The following observations and descriptions are of plants growing at Ned's Nursery located at 18580 Chambers Road Amanda, Ohio. In these descriptions, color references are based on The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart and color terminology used in the descriptions herein refers to plate numbers in this R.H.S. Color Chart. Phenotypic expression may vary with light intensity and environmental conditions.

-   Classification:     -   -   Botanical.—Juniperus chinensis (L).         -   Parentage.—Original plant: Juniperus chinensis             ‘Pfitzeriana’.         -   Propagation.—cuttings. -   Plant:     -   -   Typical size.—1.45 meters tall by 2.0 meters wide.         -   Observed size.—ranging from 0.7 meters tall by 1.2 meters             wide on 10 yr old plants to 1.45 meters tall by 2.0 meters             high on 15 year old plants.         -   Habit.—mounded to flat topped spreading wider than tall;             densely branched, compact. -   Branches:     -   -   Lateral branches.—numerous.         -   Size.—Diameter: Base diameter on 15 yr plants is 254 mm,             76.2 mm on 10 yr old. plants 3^(rd) year old shoots — 5 mm             in diameter, apical shoots — 3 mm diameter.         -   Color.—200D on oldest wood, 3^(rd) year old shoots             grey-orange group 177A. Apical shoots grayed-yellow 162C.         -   Texture.—glabrous on young shoots, exfoliating on older             bark. -   Leaf:     -   -   Shape.—Juvenile needles ternate and acicular, adult needles             flattened and scale like.         -   Size.—adult needles 7-20 mm long, juvenile needles 4-9 mm             long.         -   Arrangement.—opposite.         -   Margins.—entire.         -   Texture/substance.—shrub medium coarse textured, juvenile             foliage prickly, adult foliage scale-like.         -   Description of foliage.—Young needles bright yellow             intensifying somewhat in winter but holding good color in             summer (RHS yellow group 3C). Interior needles dark green             splashed with yellow margins (RHS yellow group 15A).         -   Width of variegation.—3-7 mm.         -   Young foliage.—upper and lower sides yellow 15A merging to             yellow-green 146C.         -   Mature foliage.—tips yellow-green merging to yellow inside.         -   Transition zone between margins and central             coloration.—yellow-green 151C.         -   Mature foliage central.—yellow group 14A.         -   Petioles.—2-10 mm long adult, 4-7 mm long juvenile             coloration — interior green group 148C, apical yellow-green             group 151C.         -   Internodes.—2-10 mm adult, 3-4 mm juvenile.         -   Hardiness.—USDA zone 4.         -   Vigor.—slow, 4-6″ new growth per year.         -   Pests/diseases.—bag worms (Thyridopteryx emphemeraeformis),             spruce spider mite (Oligonydnis ununguis), shoot blight             (Phomopsis juniperova). -   Inflorescence: Staminate (pollen) cones only. 

1. A new and distinct variety of Juniperus chinensis plant named ‘nedsyelo’ substantially as illustrated and described herein. 